Lebanon Welcomes US-Iran Deal as Hezbollah and Israel Continue Clashes

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday welcomed the newly announced agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East war, expressing hope that it would help reduce regional tensions and create an opening for diplomatic solutions.

According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun conveyed his position during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who briefed Lebanese officials on the details of the accord.

Aoun described the agreement as a potentially positive development that could help stabilize the region after months of escalating conflict.

During the conversation, Araghchi emphasized “the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty,” while also reaffirming Iran’s commitment to ending the war in Lebanon and securing a complete halt to Israeli military operations.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Araghchi also spoke with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally who has long served as an intermediary between the group and foreign actors.

According to the report, the Iranian minister outlined aspects of the agreement that relate specifically to Lebanon and received expressions of appreciation from Lebanese officials for including provisions aimed at ending the conflict on Lebanese territory.

The diplomatic outreach came as fighting continued on the ground despite the announcement of the US-Iran deal. Hezbollah said on Monday that its fighters used rockets and drones to repel an Israeli force attempting to advance near the town of Kfar Tebnit, close to the southern city of Nabatieh.

In a later statement, the group said Israeli forces had reinforced their presence in the area with additional Merkava tanks and armored vehicles. Hezbollah claimed it responded with rocket barrages and artillery fire, adding that clashes remained ongoing.

Earlier in the day, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in the same area, killing its driver. The strike marked the first reported fatal attack in Lebanon since the agreement was announced.

The United Nations reported signs of a reduction in hostilities. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed a decrease in violence between midnight and late afternoon Monday.

According to UNIFIL’s assessment, 133 projectile trajectories and two Israeli airstrikes were recorded during that period, while no projectile launches by Hezbollah or other non-state actors were reported.

Although the agreement between Washington and Tehran is intended to end fighting across multiple fronts in the region, its full contents have not been publicly released.

Both Iran and Pakistan, which mediated the negotiations, have confirmed that Lebanon is included in the arrangement, but Lebanese officials say they were not informed in advance about the specific terms or timing of any ceasefire provisions.

The announcement follows more than three months of war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese group entered the conflict on March 2 by launching rockets toward Israel, saying it was acting in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in joint US-Israeli strikes. Israel subsequently launched an extensive air and ground campaign in Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities say the conflict has killed more than 3,700 people and displaced over one million residents, creating one of the country’s worst humanitarian crises in recent years.

Despite hopes that the US-Iran agreement could pave the way for de-escalation, major questions remain unresolved. Information released so far does not indicate whether Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they currently control territory along the border and have reportedly expanded operations beyond previous positions.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon indefinitely, casting doubt on expectations that the agreement would immediately alter military realities on the ground.

Analysts also note that the deal contains no public commitment from Iran to end its financial and military support for Hezbollah, a longstanding demand of Washington and some Lebanese political factions.

Military and political observers warn that the future status of Hezbollah’s armed wing could become a major source of internal tension in Lebanon. Calls by Western governments and some Lebanese leaders for the group’s disarmament have intensified, but Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected such demands.

At the same time, Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in direct talks in Washington since April in an effort to secure a separate agreement to end hostilities and achieve an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Another round of negotiations is expected later this month.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday that Beirut would intensify its diplomatic efforts through those talks to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal, even as uncertainty grows over how the new US-Iran accord may affect the separate negotiation track.

For now, Lebanese officials have cautiously welcomed the agreement while awaiting further details, hoping it can deliver a durable end to the conflict but acknowledging that many of the most contentious issues — including Israeli troop deployments, Hezbollah’s future role, and long-term security arrangements — remain unresolved.